Two held from courtroom of Orissa HC’s acting Chief Justice for ‘unruly’ behaviour

Cuttack: Two person, including a litigant, was arrested by police from the courtroom of Acting Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court for unruly behaviour, using derogatory language and causing obstruction in the course of administration of justice.

The incident occurred on Thursday when the court was hearing a PIL filed by one Pravat Kumar Padhi and other villagers, challenging construction of the Court of Civil Judge (Junior Division) at Konark on a piece of land allotted for the said purpose.

Padhi appeared and sought permission to change his lawyer. However, the court informed him that as the Supreme Court has disposed of all the pending cases, there is nothing remained which is to be adjudicated upon by the High Court. The petitioner then started behaving ‘arrogantly’ and stated in an ‘unruly’ manner that unless he gets permission from his co-villagers, he cannot withdraw the writ petition and the same cannot be disposed of as well, LiveLaw reported.

Padhi went out of the court room on being asked to get the necessary instruction from the co-villagers and came back with a person named Duryadhan Sahu, who though not a party in the case arrogantly contended that he has helped in filing of the present case and is helping in pursuing the matter. He instigated the petitioner not to withdraw the petition even if the matter has been dismissed by the apex court. He ‘arrogantly’ and in a ‘ill-mannered’ fashion tried to justify his action in demeaning the decorum of the court and expressed his views in derogatory words.

“Though this Court tried to dissuade him from showing such unruly behaviour in the courtroom, he went on passing derogatory remarks against the court. In any case, the conduct of the Petitioner No.1 along with Duryodhan Sahoo (who is a stranger to the case) is absolutely derogatory and deplorable and has caused obstruction in the course of administration of justice,” the bench said.

Padhi and one Duryadhan Sahu were then held for contempt of court and taken into custody. “This court is conscious of the fact that the jurisdiction in respect of the contempt should be sparingly used. Here in a case where all efforts made by the Court as well as the learned Advocate General went in vain as the contemnors continued to cross the limits of decency,” the court further observed, and directed the Registrar (Judicial) to register a suo motu contempt case.

They have been sent to judicial custody till October 30, when the court will reopen after the Puja holidays.

“The contemnors are given the opportunity to file their show cause reply through the Superintendent, Circle Jail, Choudwar within seven days so that the same can be considered on 30.10.2023 by the Court in the presence of the contemnors when the court will reopen after Puja Holidays,” the bench added.